Fake Dating The Enemy Forward

Confronting My Psycho Bully

I sat there, alone, staring at Jax's face on the tablet.

The door opened again after a few minutes.

I heard his footsteps first. Then the chair across from me scraping back. The silence, thick and charged, as he sat down and waited for me to acknowledge him.

I didn't look up. I was fuming. My blood was actually hot in my veins.

"Riley. Look at me."

I looked up.

He was wearing a charcoal sweater that made his dark eyes look endless. He was smiling. That same arrogant, infuriating, devastating smile that made me want to slap him.

"You're angry," he said. It wasn't a question.

"No s**t, Sherlock. Tell me something, Jax. Why exactly are you hell-bent on making me miserable? If I owed you something in your past life, was college not enough to pay for it? Why won't you let me be? You f*****g psycho."

"So you admit that you do remember me."

His gaze moved over my face, then down to my clenched fists, my white knuckles. There was something almost amused in his expression. He was enjoying this.

That made me angrier.

"What?" I demanded. "Is this funny to you?"

"No."

"You're smiling." I pointed at him. "You think this is cute? Me being forced to pretend we're dating is entertainment to you?"

His mouth twitched.

My stomach turned over. I hated him even more.

"You're adorable when you're furious."

I stood up, my hands flat on the table, my body leaning toward him without my permission. The table was the only thing between us.

"This isn't a game, Jax. This is my job. My reputation. My life."

"I know." His voice was softer now, almost gentle. "That's why I agreed."

I stared at him.

Then I laughed, sharp and humorless. "Oh, my God."

"What?"

"You are insane," I said, shaking my head. I was clearly dealing with a lunatic. "Why did you insist on me?" I demanded.

His expression lost some of its amusement. His jaw tightened. He held my gaze, and I felt pinned, trapped, like a butterfly under glass. I resisted the urge to look away. Then he dropped a punch.

"Because you're the right one for me," he said wistfully.

The right one?

My breath hitched at the way he said it. My skin flushed, heat climbing up my neck, pooling low in my belly.

Concentrate, Riley. Remember he's the Devil.

"The truth is that our relationship isn't even pleasant at best. I am the worst candidate for you to fake-date."

"Stop saying that. Fake dating." He gritted out. His eyes darkened, and something dangerous flickered there. Something dangerous.

"Isn't that what it is?"

"You don't have to make it sound so terrible."

So calling him names wasn't enough to get him angry but stating the facts was? Maddening psycho.

He stood up and moved toward me.

I flinched before he could touch me. The reaction stopped him cold. His hand hovered in the air between us. I imagined what it would feel like against my cheek.

His hand lowered slowly.

"Riley."

"Don't touch me." My throat burned. My voice cracked. "You know what, go find her." I said, backing away. My hips hit the edge of the table, and I had nowhere left to go.

"Find who?"

"The woman in the photo. Or have you already forgotten about her too?" I threw up my hands. "Find her. Fake date her. Real date her. I don't care. Pick one. Just stop dragging me into this."

His eyes narrowed. Something cold and possessive flickered there. It made my breath catch.

"You clearly want her. She clearly wants you. And I am not going to spend my time pretending for you."

"Are you finished?"

"No." My voice rose. "I'm doomed, Jax. I'm completely doomed. Are you happy now? You know exactly what you're doing to me."

He crossed the distance between us, stopping just short of touching me. His chest was inches from mine, and I could feel the heat rolling off his body.

"I'd never refuse you anything," he said quietly.

The air left my lungs. My knees went weak.

Then his expression hardened. His jaw tightened. His eyes burned into mine.

"But I'm not giving you this."

My phone buzzed.

I glanced down, breaking the moment. My hands were shaking as I reached for it.

A text from Kent.

Hey. You disappeared last night. Everything okay? Coffee still on?

I stared at the screen, my heart doing something complicated and painful.

Jax then grabbed the phone out of my hands.

"Golden boy doesn't know about us yet, I see," he said, and there was an edge to his voice I didn't understand.

"There is no us," I said while stretching my legs so I could reach his impossible height. My body was pressed against the table, and he was so close that if I leaned forward just an inch, I'd be against him. "Give me back my phone."

"Not yet."

He leaned forward so suddenly that I stood frozen in shock. His body caged mine against the table. His hand braced on the wood beside my hip. His next words brushed against my ear like a secret.

"You and me, Riley. Against the world."

His breath warmed my skin, and I felt my resolve cracking, felt the memory of his mouth on mine flooding back with devastating clarity.

I wanted him to touch me again. I must be ovulating because there was no way I was attracted to this bully.

He handed me my phone and left the room.

Only after did I realize that he had dialed and saved a number.

Who the f**k is HubbyLove.